Three Lexington restaurants hit a milestone for buying farm fresh Kentucky food

We all know eating veggies keeps us healthy. It can also help keep Kentucky’s farm economy healthy too.

And strong Kentucky farms make for better Kentucky restaurants because the food gets to diners faster and just tastes better. Tomatoes picked locally at the height of the growing season are infinitely superior to the styrofoam pink things you find in stores in February, right?

Sign up for our LexGo Eat & Drink newsletters

The latest on food, dining and bourbon delivered right to your inbox for free. See what's happening in the world of bourbon, including buying, tasting tips and more on Tuesday. Stick around for the biggest restaurant news in Central Kentucky on Thursday. Sign up here.

To support both farms and restaurants, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud program supports places that buy lots of locally grown items by reimbursing up to 15% of eligible purchases (up to $8,000 a year, with a lifetime cap of $36,000.)

This summer, three Lexington restaurants reached the lifetime cap, meaning these are great places to go if you are looking for fresh, flavorful locally grown food. Four Louisville restaurants (Gralehouse and Holy Grale, Mayan Cafe and Red Hog) and one school district — Madison County Schools in Richmond — also achieved the lifetime purchasing honor.

Since 2014, 31 entities have hit the lifetime limit and the Buy Local program has incentivized chefs to purchase more than $14.4 million of locally grown and raised food, according to the KDA.

Here are the latest Buy Local Kentucky champions.

Dudley’s on Short

Know for its fine dining with a Kentucky twist, Dudley’s on Short regularly features seasonal local items in specials from executive chef Bradley Hoffmann.

As the restaurant says on its website, “Our goal at Dudley’s on Short is to offer outstanding customer service while offering guests varying menus utilizing the very best local and seasonal ingredients.”

And it shows, in heirloom tomatoes on their Insalata Burrata, local greens, foraged mushrooms, local squash and okra and more.

“We have been sourcing our ingredients from local farmers for over 40 years,” said Brittany Miller of Dudley’s.

Ingredients are woven throughout the menu, from the eggs from Blue Moon Farms served at brunch on eggs Benedict to the Stone Cross Farms sausage in the sausage gravy and even the smoked trout on Dudley’s Eggs from Shuckman’s Smokery, “we try our hardest to utilize farmers in every possible way.”

Ramsey’s Diner, Harrodsburg Road location

Now with four locations, Ramsey’s Diner has been doing local veggies since way before they were cool. Owner Rob Ramsey actually helped craft the KDA’s Buy Local and Kentucky Proud programs in 2002 with then-Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith.

“This program made it financially feasible (by rebating up to 15% of purchases ) to deal with local farmers directly, instead of non locals through normal purveyors,” Ramsey said. “Over the years Ramsey’s established multiple relationships with different farms and farmers to purchase millions of dollars in local produce that would not have been financially possible without this incentive .... The relationships built and promotions developed such Corn Daze, Fall Veggie Festival and spring asparagus continue, which indicates a fulfillment of the concept. Give local restaurants an incentive to deal with local farms and establish lasting relationships which will continue long after the incentives end.”

Ramsey’s offers, among other things, classic “meat and three” plates with an extensive list of seasonal vegetable offerings apple fritters to sweet pickled beets. And they really ramp it up with Corn Daze, serving grilled sweet corn on the cob. The sliced tomatoes are always local and the veggie plate might be the best in town. The Harrodsburg location is the latest one to receive the award.

Stella’s Kentucky Deli

Stella’s Kentucky Deli on Jefferson Street leans into farm fresh items, showcasing local grass-finished beef burgers as well as local corned beef, local bleu cheese, organic Kentucky farm eggs, hickory smoked Kentucky Ham, Stone Cross Farm sausage links, Weisenburger Mill cheese grits and local organic lamb patties, among other things.

“Buying local has been a core motivation for us at Stella’s since we took over the restaurant over 18 years ago,” said owner Lester Miller. “That’s actually why we renamed it Stella’s Kentucky Deli from just Stella’s Deli: To emphasize our commitment to supporting the local food economy.

“Over the years we have purchased from dozens of local purveyors, but currently our core group is Ben Abell and Bree Pearsal at Rootbound Farm (eggs, lamb, veggies), Kenny Mattingly at Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, John Allen Mason (grass fed beef and pork roasts), Patrick Kennedy at Stone Cross Farm (sausage and pork products) and Jim Betts at Bluegrass Bakery which isn’t technically a farm, but when you keep an heirloom yeast culture alive and thriving for over 75 years, begins to feel like an agricultural endeavor.”

List of Buy Local Kentucky Proud lifetime award winners so far, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture:

• Berea College – Sodexo - Berea

• Bluebird Café - Stanford

• Bluegrass Burgers - Louisville

• Bowling Green City Schools - Bowling Green

• Crank & Boom - Lexington

• Doodle’s Breakfast & Lunch - Lexington

• Dudley’s on Short - Lexington

• Good Foods Co-Op - Lexington

• Gralehaus - Louisville

• Holy Grale - Louisville

• Holly Hill Inn - Versailles

• Honeywood - Lexington

• Jack Fry’s - Louisville

• Le Moo - Louisville

• Madison County Schools - Richmond

• Mayan Café - Louisville

• Monnik Beer Co. - Louisville

• Namnam Café - Louisville

• Proof on Main - Louisville

• Ramsey’s Diner – Andover - Lexington

• Ramsey’s Diner – Commissary - Lexington

• Ramsey’s Diner – Harrodsburg - Lexington

• Ramsey’s Diner – Tates Creek - Lexington

• Ramsey’s Diner – Zandale - Lexington

• Red Hog - Louisville

• Smithtown Seafood - Lexington

• Stella’s Kentucky Deli – Lexington

• The Kentucky Castle - Versailles

• Wallace Station - Versailles

• Wiltshire Pantry - Louisville

• Windy Corner - Lexington

Lexington Farmers Market launches new era with weekday location. Here are the details

Taylor Belle’s expanding: Where to find this hot Kentucky ice cream, famous soft serve

A new ice cream shop is opening in Richmond and it will sell a popular Lexington brand

See inside, changes as legendary Lexington restaurant reopens in new location

Chicken chain location demolished. What’s going onto busy Lexington corner?

Longtime Frankfort restaurant on the river will close after distillery buys it